As much as we all love our pets, they are among the biggest dangers to our antique rugs. Due to stains and odours, pet accidents can quickly become significant problems and ruin the rugs. If your pet causes any carpet accident, you must act promptly to treat the area. Often, once the carpet dries, the stain is permanent, so act fast! Here are some steps to quickly clean up the mess and avoid permanent damage:

Dry or remove as much of the waste as you can.

Dry or remove the waste as much as you can. Moisten the area with clean water and continue to dry. (Often, as long as the area remains wet, the stain can be removed entirely by simply wiping until it disappears).

). If you can’t altogether remove the stain, use a little detergent mixed with water and apply lightly to the area, then continue to moisten and dry.

Take the rug to a professional as soon as possible so that they can remove any additional problems caused by pets that may have penetrated the base of the carpet.

Most of the time, your pet won’t tell anyone, and it may take a few hours or days until you notice the waste they have left behind. In this situation, look for a professional specialising in antique rugs and ask them to perform a urine removal process. Although this will probably not remove all stains, it will remove the urine from the carpet so that it is clean and hygienic. Spills and stains of other types can be treated in the same way as pet problems. Act fast and follow the steps listed above. Once a stain or spill dries on the rug, removal becomes much more difficult, if not impossible. Trying one of these magic products that “guarantee to remove everything” may be tempting, but be careful! Remember that an antique oriental rug is made very differently from machine-made rugs. Antique rugs are often woven with natural dyes that may not have fully fixed colours. They are also woven with live wool containing natural oil (lanolin). Therefore, many advertised stain treatments can harm the dyes and wool of your rug. Finally, avoid steam cleaning or hot water. These processes will remove the oily substance from the carpet and can cause dye migration and discolouration.